ABC News, Radio National channels go live on Apple Music Australia [u]

Apple recently expanded its Apple Music service in Australia with the addition of two live radio news channels provided by national broadcaster, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

The new additions, ABC News Radio and sister channel Radio National, currently sit at the top of Featured Stations in Apple Music's Radio section and provide listeners with live streaming content around the clock. Like other live streaming selections, iOS and macOS users can access the new radio channels for free without an Apple Music subscription.

Prior to the Apple Music integration, listeners looking to stream ABC programming on their iOS device were obliged to do so via the official ABC Listen app, which currently sits in the No. 3 spot for News apps on Australia's iOS App Store. The app offers a comprehensive assortment of 130 local, regional and national stations, as well as on-demand content including podcasts and special programming.

At the moment, Apple Music's integration is limited to ABC's two major programs, though additional regional content might follow as Apple strikes deals to build out its fledgling streaming service.

For now, Apple appears to be concentrating on music-centric radio programming for its paying subscribers, specifically content presented to users as curated channels. As seen in the Music app on iOS, current Featured Stations including Hip-Hop Radio, Pure Pop Radio, R&B Radio and Charting Now Radio, all of which include on-demand access to popular tracks.

Update: Following the publication of this article, ABC's entire collection of channels, including local and regional selections, became available for streaming through Apple Music.